Talent management and performance improvement

Leadership is the quality which makes a person stand out from other employees. It is a characteristic associated with a person who has certainty in their speech and actions, compassion for their coworkers, can handle pressure under difficult circumstances, and is always ready to fight for the rights of their employees.

Leadership does vary to some extent depending on the role in question – for example, leadership characteristics may be slightly different for a manager than for a political leader but the basic qualities of leadership do not change.

Leadership skills play a crucial role in times of change in an organisation. During this period the organisation can be perceived as unstable, confused, and lacking clear direction and authority. It can also be a period of sentiment when employees grieve about what has been lost and are unable to have a positive outlook on the future of the business and their place in it.

To be an effective company leader means to be there for others as a support network, an idea generator, an order-taker, a teacher or a mentor, and to believe in others and what they can do. Leaders do things differently rather than doing thousands of different things. A good leader motivates, encourages, and understands their employees.

In addition to the leadership skills of vision and sociability, the characteristics that leaders must have are the ability to recognise other people’s talents, and the know-how to make teams work with an open mind.

True leadership is a skill mastered only by few people, due to its intricate demand on the ability to comprehend complex human emotions.